The following release has been issued by the Office of the Premier and shared with the media in relation to the development of an Access Strategy for Montserrat.

MNI Media publishes the information as sent in below:

"Access is an essential component of every country’s economic development agenda. Montserrat is no exception and, over the years since the start of volcanic activity in the mid-1990s, access to and from Montserrat has negatively impacted the island’s economic development. This short-term consultancy to support the Government of Montserrat (GoM) update the strategic framework for sea and air access & connectivity for Montserrat, and to inform the procurement of a new ferry contract.

The Consultant will review previous work on access & connectivity, and complement this with research on appropriate connectivity modalities. This will result in an assessment of the technical, economic and financial feasibility of operating sea and air services and a clear implementation plan to deliver relevant recommendations of previous studies and this consultancy. This Consultancy will produce two documents:

(a) an Optimized Connectivity Strategy and
(b) a Sea and Air Access Implementation and Resourcing Plan for Montserrat, which will detail the sea and air access & connectivity requirements.

Consultants Aquila Aviation Ltd will be on island from February 11-20 to engage the public towards the best plan for Montserrat. Look out for more information and ways you can contribute.